THE OLYMPICS

The Olympic Ceremony

This Text covers the following representations:

• Events
• National Identity (Predominantly Britain with some American representation)

This case study will be excellent to compare with Downton Abbey for representation of Britain and to Homeland (The western nations as superior).

(Click on the link on the video to view clip - someone needs to tell the committee that they are messing up the presentation of my blog due to their copyright demands! ARGHHHH)

Directed by Danny Boyle who is English.

James Bond (intertextual reference) Daniel Craig is a British actor and James Bond is a prolific film that is well knows for being British.

Visual Codes

• The words 'Happy and Glorious' - link to the national anthem but the words also suggest that we are a glorious nation.
• Gold colours signify wealth. Red and Gold are 'royal colours'.
• Queens guards are used.
• Flag with the Lions (Royal Standard) - British coat of arms linking back to Richard I (1198) - depicts strength and dominance.
• The clock where the queen is sat related to a regimented and organised nation.
• Black Hackney cab
• Police officers - Law and order.
• Throne room signifies high class and royalty.
• Suits - Nation are smart and respectful.
• Famous Corgi dogs
• The Queen
• British flags - The nation is patriotic and proud to be British.
• Flags from other nations sugessts that Britian is accepting of others and multi-cultural nation.
• Close up of the words 'Happy and Glorious' sums up the British nation.
• People from all ethnicities and class. Again suggesting is accepting and 'one country'.
• Brazilian children are featured at the beginning - Brazil will host the next Olympics and as a nation we are showing them how it is done! They are in awe of the country and everything around them is so much better than their country. Could also suggest that Britain is a multi-cultural society and an accepting nation.
• Crowds taking photos on phones suggest that the British are technologically advanced.
• Old building VS New buildings - The British value their history yet they keep with the times. Best of both worlds.

Audio Codes

• Speech - Received Pronunciation by characters and commentator.
• Classical music used which signifies Britain as being sophisticated and an upper class nation It also reminds the audience of the historical nature of the country and reminds them of royalty.
• chimes of the clock which signifies tradition and a reminder of the Big Ben.
• Dam Busters music is used. The Dam Busters was about world war II and the British attacking the German Dams - This is a reminder to the world that Britain is a superior nation as they 'go into battle' in the helicopter. The music was composed by British composer Eric Coates.
• Crowds cheering which suggests that the public are proud to be be British and that they are celebrating the culture.

There are various landmarks that are used:

• Buckingham Palace
• Big Ben
• London Eye
• River Thames
• Lion statue in Trafalgar Square
• Churchill statue - routed in British success.
• London Bridge
• Houses of Parliament.
• Nelsons column.
• St Paul's Cathedral
• Gherkin building (financial building) - British are well off/financial success.

most of these can bee seen in one shot (shot from the helicopter). the scene has been constructed to present these at one given time to present key iconography to a worldwide audience.

BBC London News Report

BBC LONDON NEWS REPORT - Broadcast in London

• The BBC report is extremely bias in its representations. It is important to understand why this is and explain in your essay answer. The report is told by a British Television Company, by British producers so it is in their best interest to promote the British Olympics as positively as possible.

FOX'S RED EYE NEWS REPORT - Broadcast in America.

• As highlighted above, it is again important to understand why the American's to not take on the same perspective as the British broadcasting does. The American's mock the ceremony as they need to create a topic of interest and to engage their American audience. Promoting the event is not necessarily in their best interest as they are merely onlookers and do not have the same patriotic motivations as the British do.

• Fox represent the event and the British as a bit 'stupid' as they constantly make reference to the fact that they do not understand what the ceremony meant.
• Britain is represented as 'over the top' and that parts of the ceremony were "bizzare" i.e Sick children. they also refer to the NHS sequence in the ceremony as propaganda.
• To a British audience, the broadcast of Red Eye, represents the American's as arrogant and stupid as they do not understand what the British were trying to achieve. the readings are opposite depending on the type of audience and the nationality of those watching.